Ruth McIntyre lived a full and exciting life and was loved by everyone. However, the diagnosis of Alzheimer's disease began her journey with Dementia.
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This was especially hard for her two daughters, Lucy and Grace. It was difficult to see their once vibrant mother suffer this debilitating condition, but say the wonderful memories she created with them will last forever.
Ms McIntyre was born to Lyle and Kate McIntyre on December 26, 1958. Her father was Canon Mac, a minister with the Horsham Anglican Church. She had a brother, James, and a sister, Mary.
Hearing Loss at five years old
At birth, she had full hearing, but when she was about five, she contracted measles, and while her family thought this may have caused her hearing loss, it was never officially diagnosed as the cause. Remarkably, her sister Mary also suffered hearing loss at the same time.
Ms McIntyre was left with three percent hearing in one ear only.
This challenge did not deter her or her mother.
Rather than send her to a school for students with hearing loss, her mother enrolled her at the Horsham 298 Primary School and then Horsham High School from 1971 to 1975.
Her mother attended year 11 lessons with her so she could support her daughter's learning at home.
Ms McIntyre continued her studies and gained a hairdressing apprenticeship with Pinkie Luker on Dooen Road from 1975 to 1978.
"Mum thrived on communication and loved her clients; hearing loss never hindered her," daughter Lucy said.
"Because Mum had learned to speak as a child, her tone had already developed, which was an advantage too.
"Many people didn't even realise Mum was deaf because she spoke so well. Her lip reading skills were amazing.
"She had also learned the song, The Addams Family before she lost her heating and sang it at every opportunity she could.
"Mum never learned sign language."
In 1978, Ms McIntyre entered the Miss Australia Quest to raise money for charity.
At 19, she won the Miss Victoria Country Charity Queen title and raised $33,000.
She was very close to her Father, and his sudden death the night of her win was tough on her and the family.
"Her Dad was setting up tables for the event the night of the Quest and had a fatal heart attack," Ms Wooster said.
"Mum took his death particularly hard.
"But It warms my heart to know they are together now."
After completing her apprenticeship, Ms McIntyre moved to Mildura and worked as a qualified Men's and Women's hairdresser for about ten years.
She loved Mildura and often drove back to visit friends.
World traveller
World travel can be daunting for anyone, but not for Ms Mc McIntyre and her sister.
They embarked on a world tour from August 1983 to January 1984, enjoying another of her passions. She also did several solo trips.
She loved to travel, but achieving this without hearing in a world without mobile phones to text or message was outstanding.
"She married Cameron Wooster in 1990, they had me in 1993 and Grace in 1997," she said.
"Mum opened Ruth's Hair Design in Horsham in her home on Brooks Avenue with our dad.
"Dad built a home salon for them both. He went above and beyond to make Mum's dream come true."
The two girls grew up quickly, learning to answer the phone and take bookings for their Mum's hairdressing business.
"When Grace was very young, she would grab the phone and say - do you want a perm?" Lucy said.
"We'd have to take the phone from her and find out what people wanted."
Ms McIntyre passed on her love of painting and art to Lucy, who became a professional tattoo artist.
Lucy said she would always be grateful to her Mum for that artistic encouragement.
Being a work-from-home Mum also allowed her to support Grace with her sport; she even became a coach.
After Ms McIntyre's marriage ended, she bought a home in Bowden Street Horsham and worked there until she eventually retired.
As children, they remember it could take up to two hours to walk along Firebrace Street because their mum would be chatting with people along the way.
And it would take hours to do the shopping because she'd be talking to everyone she met.
"Mum could never walk past a stranger with a good head of hair without giving them some advice on what was wrong and what treatment they should use. She was a born hairdresser."
Back into the world of hearing
Ms McIntyre received a cochlear implant in 2012. She had difficulty adjusting to it, but in hindsight, some of the problems could have been due to early issues with undiagnosed Alzheimer's.
After the implant, she said she enjoyed hearing her mother call her darling, singing Happy Birthday to her, and hearing birds in the trees.
Lucy said both she and her sister had noticed subtle changes in their Mum sometime before her diagnosis, but they were often considered to be unkind when they spoke to friends and even some members of the medical profession about their concerns.
Her ability to adapt to her hearing loss and life as a mother, successful businesswoman, and world traveller may have made diagnosis difficult because of her natural ability to adapt to the changes happening to her. She may have done that as her condition progressed without realising it.
"For the first five years after her diagnosis, she was pretty good, but she began to deteriorate after that," her daughter said.
Enjoying each day
After her diagnosis of Alzheimer's, she traveled around Australia with her partner, Patrick Ellis, from 2015 to 2023.
"Mum could handle living in the caravan because it was a small space."
"She often told us Patrick threw lemons over the fence to get her attention when they were kids. He came back into her life when she needed him most.
"She enjoyed traveling with Patrick each day; she just couldn't make memories," her daughter said.
"A person with Alzheimer's and Dementia can enjoy things and activities, they can have fun, they just can't remember them.
"Grace and I will always be grateful to Patrick for his love and care of Mum, especially when she needed it most."
Ms McIntyre's short-term memory diminished several years before her death, but she could remember some of the people she knew in her 30s. Her mobility was reduced, too.
Sadly, in the last three months of her life, she did not recognise her daughters.
She could recognise her partner, Patrick, because he was always with her.
But it eventually became apparent she needed specialised care.
"Knowledge is power," her daughters said.
They learned through their experience that Alzheimer's can go undiagnosed for many years.
"We want Mum's legacy to create a greater understanding of what this disease does to the person diagnosed, to the family, and those close to them.
"Please listen to someone who tells you they have concerns about a loved one."
"Grace and I want Mum's life and what happened to her to help other people gain a greater understanding of this condition."
"Those closest will notice changes before others do."
Alzheimer's disease is a progressive disease that destroys memory and other important mental functions.
